Is this really a (Mauer) thing? Or a Gardy thing?

[jokin]

Patrick Reusse has been espousing a theory since the 2011 "bilateral" Mauer nightmare, namely, that Gardy, consciously or unconsciously, has frequently slipped in some, oh so subtle needles when referring to how Joe Mauer is doing.  Reusse also stated on Sunday evening that he's convinced that all of the losing has finally taken its toll on Gardy, to the point that he thinks Gardy will ask out of the job at season's end. Yesterday, when Gardy decided to give Mauer getaway day off against KC, here was his quote:

 

 

"I just told him, 'You're out today,' " Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He just looked at me and he didn't fight me, so that was good."

 

I thought little of it at the time, as Mauer hadn't missed a game or inning since his return over two weeks ago, although it did strike me as kind-of-odd phraseology.  And then this little quote just popped up this afternoon, from Gardy's pre-game banter with Mike Berardino:

 

 

Mike Berardino @MikeBerardino  ·  17s

 

Gardy revealed for first time today his theory on Joe Mauer's slow first half. He was feeling "a lot of pressure" to make All-Star Game.

 

 

MLB ballplayers are human beings, even the future HOF veteans.  But could this really be a valid reason for Mauer's slow start?  Or is this following in the line of the strange comment about the shifted infield defense after the loss to KC on Wednesday, from a frustrated and beaten-down manager who missed a night's sleep flying into Baltimore at 5 AM this morning?

[jokin]

Gardy might have walked his quote from Twitter back a bit for Berardino's just-published article, but saying that he's never before seen Mauer "really want something bad" isn't the most flattering thing to say, either:



 

 

 

“There’s no doubt he was pressing before the all-star game” Gardenhire said. “It’s the first time in my career as a manager here that I’ve seen Joe Mauer really want something bad, and that was to play in that all-star game. I really think that played a part in it. I don’t think he would ever admit to it, but in my opinion it definitely did.”

Mauer was announced in April as an all-star ambassador. That, combined with a position change to first base, may have led to Mauer trying to put up bigger power numbers in order to keep pace with a different set of all-star competitors, Gardenhire suggested.

“There was a lot of pressure that we can’t feel from everything that was put on his shoulders,” Gardenhire said. “You have to live with that. Believe it or not, he is human. 

[gunnarthor]

I tend to think we're over thinking this.  He rested Mauer and said it was his decision.  If he had said "Joe needed a day," we'd be hearing 'Joe is soft" crud.  On the all star game, Gardy might think it's true but might also want fans to move away from concussion concerns or push a narrative that Mauer's struggles are behind him. It fits.

 

Also, when we start these "Gardy throwing someone under the bus" threads (and I guess it's always young guys except when it's Mauer), it's probably worth remembering that he's been saying Hicks should be back up.  

[jokin]

I tend to think we're over thinking this.  He rested Mauer and said it was his decision.  If he had said "Joe needed a day," we'd be hearing 'Joe is soft" crud.  On the all star game, Gardy might think it's true but might also want fans to move away from concussion concerns or push a narrative that Mauer's struggles are behind him. It fits.

 

Also, when we start these "Gardy throwing someone under the bus" threads (and I guess it's always young guys except when it's Mauer), it's probably worth remembering that he's been saying Hicks should be back up.  

 

Everything you say seems very reasonable in context, and yet, in walking back his ASG game theory a bit, he threw in the "I've never seen Joe Mauer want something this bad" remark. I've got to think almost every MLB player wants a pennant, and then a World Series ring, more badly than a hometown ASG appearance.  

[JB_Iowa]

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger  · 15m 
Mauer on if he pressed to play in ASG: "I definitely wanted to make the team. But I don’t know if it had anything to do with my first half."

[Squirrel]

Do you guys mind if I merge your threads?  

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

 

I'm still really confused about Gardy's comments on Dozier playing the shift the other night. If you can shed light on that - whether it's a Gardy thing or a Dozier thing.

[Platoon]

The way Gardy is going lately we are gonna need a bigger bus!

[Kwak]

This thread is like walking into the middle of a conversation.  Unless we have the start of it to define the context this quote is nearly meaningless.  Why talk about the ASG now, or Mauer's "first half-season"?  Until we know what was said before this "quote" all we have is a puzzle.  OTOH, when I read the thread for yesterday's game and noticed Mauer wasn't in the line-up I thought "What Up?"

 

Re:  Bigger bus?  As long as Gardy is riding on that bus!

[Craig Arko]

I like to think of it as an eye of the beholder thing.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Eye of the beholder, yes. We are getting to that time of year where it's easy (and sometimes justified imo) to make sport of what Gardenhire says in postgames. Some things are juicier than others. I didn't think too much of Mauer getting a night off, or the ensuing comments about it.

[Winston Smith]

Never run out of excuses do they?

 

Play better and win more and they won't need so many excuses.